Scientists require access to disparate types of information, including computed and experimental data, papers, reports, and notes. This information is often associated, in some way, with a particular geographic location. For example, there is typically a collection of data about each geological formation that contains minerals.
The data may have been collected by various means, each of which uses a different data format, for example well logs and directional surveys about a formation. Typically, a different computer program is used to display or analyze each of the data formats. Thus if a scientist wants to view a particular type of data for a particular formation, the scientist must locate the data for the formation, identify its type, locate the computer program capable of displaying the type of data, and then start the program while identifying the particular data file to be processed. If the user misidentifies the type of data, the program chosen will cause an error, but usually will not identify the type of program capable of processing the data. If the user misidentifies the particular data file, but correctly identifies the type of data contained in the file, the processing program will helpfully provide data for the wrong formation, and unless the user quickly recognizes the error, the user may spend considerable time analyzing the wrong data.
It is thus apparent that there is a need in the art for an improved method of providing access to data that provides the correct data for a geographic location and also provides the correct program to process the data. The present invention meets these and other needs.